JP7363146B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toner container and an image forming apparatus.

Patent Document 1 discloses a process cartridge that is detachable from an image forming apparatus main body. A process cartridge is a device in which a photoreceptor, a charging device, a cleaning device, a developing device, and a drive transmission device are integrated. The developing device includes a toner container, a developing section, and a stirring section. The toner container contains toner. The stirring unit stirs the toner within the toner container. Specifically, the stirring section includes a stirring drive shaft and a toner stirring member attached to the stirring drive shaft. As the agitation drive shaft rotates, the toner agitation member rotates and the toner is agitated. The image forming apparatus main body includes a drive motor and a control means. The drive transmission device transmits the driving force of the drive motor of the image forming apparatus main body to the stirring drive shaft of the developing section. The drive transmission device includes rotation speed detection means. The rotation speed detection means detects the rotation speed of the stirring drive shaft. The rotation speed detection means includes a detection plate and a detection member. The detection plate is fixed to the stirring drive shaft. The detection plate is a disc-shaped object with a slit. The detection member detects rotation of the detection plate. The rotation speed detection means outputs a signal indicating the detected rotation speed of the stirring drive shaft to the control means. The control means detects the remaining amount of toner based on the rotational speed of the agitation drive shaft detected by the detection member.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-194980

However, in the process cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1, while the image forming apparatus main body drives the drive motor to rotate the agitation drive shaft, the rotation speed detection means controls a signal indicating the rotation speed of the agitation drive shaft. Always output to means. Therefore, there is a risk that the load placed on the control means of the image forming apparatus main body will increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toner container and an image forming apparatus that can reduce the load on a processing section of an image forming apparatus.

The toner container of the present invention includes a container body, a carrier, at least one first rotating body, and a second rotating body. The container body has a storage chamber and an outlet. The storage chamber stores toner. The discharge port discharges the toner from the storage chamber. The carrier is arranged within the storage chamber. The conveyance body rotates and moves in a direction approaching the discharge port, and conveys the toner to the discharge port. The first rotating body engages with the outer peripheral surface of the carrier and rotates based on the rotation of the carrier. The second rotating body rotates based on a first driving force generated by rotation of the first rotating body. The first rotating body is arranged at a predetermined position. The first rotating body rotates in response to the conveying body reaching the predetermined position.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention forms an image on a sheet. The image forming apparatus includes the toner container, a drive section, a detection section, and a processing section. The second rotating body has a detected portion on its outer peripheral surface that indicates that the second rotating body has rotated.
The driving section generates a second driving force that drives the conveyance body. The detection unit detects the detected portion from the second rotating body when the second rotating body rotates. The processing section calculates the remaining amount of the toner based on the detection result detected by the detection section.

According to the toner container and image forming apparatus of the present invention, the load placed on the processing section of the image forming apparatus can be reduced.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing a cross section of a toner container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first rotating body and a second rotating shaft according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (a) is a perspective view of a second rotating body and a second rotating shaft according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (b) is a diagram showing the second rotating body according to the first embodiment, viewed from the arrow direction E in (a). (a) to (d) are perspective views of a carrier, a first rotating shaft, a first rotating body group, a second rotating shaft, and a second rotating body according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing display processing of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cross section of a toner container according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Embodiments of a toner container and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts, and the description will not be repeated.

[Embodiment 1]
An image forming apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 is an electrophotographic color copying machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on a sheet P. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a feeding section 1 , a transport section M, a toner replenishment unit 1000 , an image forming section 2 , a transfer section 3 , a fixing section 4 , an ejection section 5 , and an operation panel section 6 .

The feeding section 1 supplies the sheet P to the conveying section M. The feeding section 1 is capable of accommodating a plurality of sheets P, and supplies the uppermost sheet P to the conveying section M one by one.

The conveyance section M conveys the sheet P supplied by the feed section 1 to the discharge section 5 via the transfer section 3 and the fixing section 4.

The toner supply unit 1000 supplies toner T to the image forming section 2 . In the first embodiment, the toner replenishment unit 1000 includes four toner containers 10c, 10m, 10y, and 10k. Cyan toner T is contained in the toner container 10c. Magenta toner T is stored in the toner container 10m. The toner container 10y contains yellow toner T. The toner container 10k stores black toner T. Hereinafter, each of the toner containers 10c, 10m, 10y, and 10k may be collectively referred to as "toner container 10." The toner container 10 is removably attached to the image forming apparatus 100.

The transfer section 3 includes an intermediate transfer belt 34. The transfer section 3 transfers the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 34 by the image forming section 2 onto the sheet P.

The image forming section 2 forms a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 34. Specifically, the image forming section 2 includes four image forming sections 2c, 2m, 2y, and 2k. Cyan toner is supplied to the image forming section 2c from the toner container 10c. Magenta toner is supplied to the image forming section 2m from a toner container 10m. Yellow toner is supplied to the image forming section 2y from the toner container 10y. Black toner is supplied to the image forming section 2k from a toner container 10k. Each of the four image forming units 2c, 2m, 2y, and 2k has a toner remaining amount sensor. The remaining toner amount sensor detects the remaining amount of toner in each of the four image forming units 2c, 2m, 2y, and 2k.

The fixing section 4 has a roller pair that fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet P by the transfer section 3. The roller pair includes a heating roller 41 and a pressure roller 42. The sheet P is heated and pressed by a heating roller 41 and a pressure roller 42. As a result, the unfixed toner image is fixed onto the sheet P by the fixing section 4. The discharge unit 5 discharges the sheet P on which the toner image is fixed to the outside of the image forming apparatus 100 .

The operation panel section 6 receives instructions from the user. The operation panel section 6 includes a display section 61 and operation buttons 62. The display unit 61 displays various processing results. The display unit 61 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel. The operation buttons 62 include a start button, arrow keys, and a numeric keypad.

Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 will be further described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 100 further includes four drive units 7c, 7m, 7y, and 7k, a reading unit 8, a control unit 9, and a photosensor 20. The four drive units 7c, 7m, 7y, and 7k are provided corresponding to the toner containers 10c, 10m, 10y, and 10k, respectively. Hereinafter, each of the drive units 7c, 7m, 7y, and 7k may be collectively referred to as the "drive unit 7." The optical sensor 20 will be described later with reference to FIG. The optical sensor 20 is an example of a detection unit.

The toner container 10 has a first rotating shaft 13 and a second storage section 16 . The first rotating shaft 13 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3. The second storage unit 16 stores container-specific information. The container specific information includes information indicating the number of labels L associated with each of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c, which will be described with reference to FIG. The second storage unit 16 is, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuits) tag. Label L is an example of a detected part. The number of labels L associated with each of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c is an example of the first feature value.

The drive section 7 generates a driving force for supplying toner from the toner container 10 to the image forming section 2 . Specifically, the drive unit 7 serves as a drive source for rotating the first rotating shaft 13 of the toner container 10 . The drive unit 7 is, for example, a motor. A mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving section 7 to the first rotating shaft 13 of the toner container 10 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

The reading unit 8 reads container specific information from the second storage unit 16 of the toner container 10 . The reading unit 8 reads the container-specific information, for example, when the toner container 10 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100. The reading unit 8 includes, for example, an antenna. The antenna transmits and receives radio waves to communicate with the second storage unit 16 of the toner container 10 . The number of labels L associated with each of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c is an example of a predetermined characteristic value.

The control unit 9 includes a processing unit 91 and a first storage unit 92.

The processing unit 91 is a hardware circuit including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing section 91 executes the control program stored in the first storage section 92 to control the feeding section 1, image forming section 2, transfer section 3, fixing section 4, ejecting section 5, operation panel section 6, and driving. unit 7, reading unit 8, and optical sensor 20.

The processing unit 91 corresponds to each of the four image forming units 2c, 2m, 2y, and 2k based on the output results of the toner remaining amount sensors placed in each of the four image forming units 2c, 2m, 2y, and 2k. The drive unit 7 generates a driving force. The processing unit 91 calculates the remaining amount of toner T based on the detection result detected by the optical sensor 20. The processing unit 91 causes the first storage unit 92 to store the container specific information read by the reading unit 8 .

The processing unit 91 executes display processing. The display process is a process in which the processing unit 91 causes the display unit 61 to display various messages regarding the status of the toner container 10. The display processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

The first storage unit 92 stores a control program. The first storage unit 92 is composed of a storage device and a semiconductor memory. The storage device is configured by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and/or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Semiconductor memories include, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory).

Next, the configuration of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment will be further described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the toner container 10 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the toner container 10 includes a container body 11, a conveyor 12, a first rotating shaft 13, a first rotating body group 14, a second rotating shaft 17, and a second rotating body 15. has. The first rotating body group 14 includes first rotating bodies 14a to 14c.

The container body 11 has a first storage chamber S1 and a second storage chamber S2 therein. The first storage chamber S1 and the second storage chamber S2 are separated by a partition wall 111. The first storage chamber S1 stores the toner T, the conveyor 12, and the first rotating shaft 13. The first storage chamber S1 is a substantially cylindrical space that matches the shape of the carrier 12. The first storage chamber S1 is partitioned by the carrier 12 into a first space S11 and a second space S12. Toner T is accommodated in the first space S11. The second storage chamber S2 accommodates the first rotating body group 14, the second rotating shaft 17, and the second rotating body 15.

The first storage chamber S1 has a discharge port 11a. The discharge port 11a discharges the toner T from the first storage chamber S1 to the outside of the container body 11. When the toner container 10 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100, the toner T discharged from the discharge port 11a is supplied to the image forming section 2.

The second storage chamber S2 has an opening 11b. The opening 11b is formed to allow the optical sensor 20 to detect the rotation of the second rotating body 15.

The optical sensor 20 detects the presence or absence of the label L fixed to the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15 every time the second rotating body 15 rotates. Label L indicates that the second rotating body 15 has rotated. The optical sensor 20 has a light receiving and emitting section. The light receiving and emitting section includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The light emitting element emits light toward the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15. The light receiving element receives light from the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15. The light emitting element is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) diode. The light receiving element is, for example, a photodiode.

The partition wall 111 has through holes 111a to 111c. Each of the through holes 111a to 111c is formed at a predetermined position of the partition wall 111.

The first rotating shaft 13 is rotatably attached inside the container body 11. The first rotating shaft 13 transmits the driving force of the drive unit 7 to the carrier 12 and moves the carrier 12 while rotating. The first rotating shaft 13 extends in the direction in which the carrier 12 approaches the discharge port 11a. Hereinafter, the direction in which the carrier 12 approaches the discharge port 11a will be referred to as "discharge port direction D." The first rotating shaft 13 has a first spiral groove G1A formed on the outer circumferential surface 13P. One end of the first rotating shaft 13 protrudes to the outside of the container body 11. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a gear 71. The gear 71 is rotated by the driving force of the drive unit 7. The toner container 10 has a gear 131. Gear 131 is fixed to one end of first rotating shaft 13 . Gear 131 of toner container 10 and gear 71 of image forming apparatus 100 mesh with each other. Therefore, when driving force is generated in the drive unit 7, the gear 71 of the image forming apparatus 100 rotates. When the gear 71 of the image forming apparatus 100 rotates, the gear 131 of the toner container 10 rotates. When the gear 131 of the toner container 10 rotates, the first rotating shaft 13 of the toner container 10 rotates.

Next, the carrier 12 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the carrier 12 according to the first embodiment. The conveyor 12 rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, and conveys the toner T to the discharge port 11a. As shown in FIG. 4, the carrier 12 is a torus-shaped object. The carrier 12 is supported by a first rotating shaft 13 . A first spiral groove G1B is formed in the inner circumferential surface 12I of the carrier 12. The first helical groove G1B of the carrier 12 meshes with the first helical groove G1A of the first rotating shaft 13. In the first embodiment, when the first rotating shaft 13 rotates, the carrier 12 rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D. A second spiral groove G2A is formed on the outer circumferential surface 12P of the carrier 12.

Next, the first rotating body group 14, the second rotating shaft 17, and the second rotating body 15 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 6(a), and 6(b). . FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first rotating body 14a and the second rotating shaft 17 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the second rotating body 15 and the second rotating shaft 17 according to the first embodiment.

The first rotating body group 14 and the second rotating body 15 are fixed to a second rotating shaft 17. That is, the second rotating shaft 17 functions as a rotating shaft for the first rotating body group 14 and the second rotating body 15. Therefore, when the first rotating body group 14 rotates, the second rotating body 15 and the second rotating shaft 17 rotate.

The second rotating shaft 17 transmits the driving force generated by the rotation of the first rotating body group 14 to the second rotating body 15 . As shown in FIG. 3, the second rotating shaft 17 is rotatably attached inside the container body 11. The second rotating shaft 17 extends along the discharge port direction D.

The first rotating body 14a engages with the outer circumferential surface 12P of the carrier 12 and rotates based on the rotation of the carrier 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the first rotating body 14a is cylindrical. The first rotating body 14a has a through hole 14H and an outer peripheral surface 14P. The second rotating shaft 17 is inserted into the through hole 14H of the first rotating body 14a. A second spiral groove G2B is formed on the outer peripheral surface 14P of the first rotating body 14a. The second helical groove G2B of the first rotating body 14a can engage with the second helical groove G2A of the carrier 12. When the second spiral groove G2B and the second spiral groove G2A are engaged, the first rotating body 14a rotates due to the rotation of the carrier 12. The thickness N of the first rotating body 14a is determined from the time when the second helical groove G2A and the second helical groove G2B start to engage until they end, due to the fact that the conveyor 12 moves while rotating. The second rotating body 15 is set to rotate by 120 degrees.

The configurations of the first rotating body 14b and the first rotating body 14c are similar to the configuration of the first rotating body 14a. Therefore, when the carrier 12 moves from the starting point to the ending point, the second rotating body 15 rotates once. As shown in FIG. 3, the container body 11 has a first inner wall 112 and a second inner wall 113 in the first storage chamber S1. In the first embodiment, the starting point indicates the position of the carrier 12 when the carrier 12 comes into contact with the first inner wall 112 . The end point indicates the position of the carrier 12 when the carrier 12 comes into contact with the second inner wall 113. When the conveyor 12 is located at the starting point, the amount of toner T accommodated in the first space S11 is maximum. When the conveyance body 12 is located at the end point, the amount of toner T accommodated in the first space S11 is approximately zero.

As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the first rotating body 14a is accommodated in the through hole 111a of the partition wall 111. A portion of the first rotating body 14b is accommodated in the through hole 111b of the partition wall 111. A part of the first rotating body 14c is accommodated in the through hole 111c of the partition wall 111. Therefore, each time the carrier 12 arrives at one of the through holes 111a to 111b, the first rotating body group 14 rotates.

The second rotating body 15 rotates based on the driving force generated by the rotation of the first rotating body group 14 every time the transport body 12 engages with any one of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the second rotating body 15 is a torus-shaped object. The second rotating body 15 has a through hole 15H and an outer peripheral surface 15P. The second rotating shaft 17 is inserted into the through hole 15H of the second rotating body 15. A plurality of labels L are fixed to the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15.

The label L has a reflectance different from that of the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15. Specifically, the light reflectance of the label L with respect to the light emitted by the optical sensor 20 is different from that of the outer circumferential surface 15P of the second rotating body 15. In the first embodiment, the label L is black, whereas the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15 is not black. The label L is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 15p of the second rotating body 15 with an adhesive. The label L is, for example, a black sticker.

Next, the number of labels L will be explained with reference to FIG. 6(b). FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing the second rotating body 15 according to the first embodiment, viewed from the arrow direction E in FIG. 6(a). In FIG. 6(b), a detection position D1 is a position where the optical sensor 20 detects the presence or absence of the label L. In FIG. 6(b), the rotation angle DR1 indicates the angle by which the second rotating body 15 rotates from when the first rotating body 14a starts engaging with the conveying body 12 until the engagement ends. In FIG. 6(b), a rotation angle DR2 indicates the angle by which the second rotating body 15 rotates from when the first rotating body 14b starts engaging with the conveying body 12 until the engagement ends. In FIG. 6(b), a rotation angle DR3 indicates the angle by which the second rotating body 15 rotates from when the first rotating body 14c starts engaging with the carrier 12 until the engagement ends. In the first embodiment, each of the rotation angles DR1 to DR3 is 120 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), three labels L are placed in a region of the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15 that passes through the detection position D1 while the second rotating body 15 rotates by the rotation angle DR1. is fixed. Two labels L are fixed to a region of the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15 that passes through the detection position D1 while the second rotating body 15 rotates by the rotation angle DR2. Four labels L are fixed to a region of the outer peripheral surface 15P of the second rotating body 15 that passes through the detection position D1 while the second rotating body 15 rotates by the rotation angle DR3.

Next, the rotation mechanism of the second rotating body 15 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d). 7(a) to 7(d) are perspective views of the carrier 12, the first rotating shaft 13, the first rotating body group 14, the second rotating shaft 17, and the second rotating body 15 according to the first embodiment It is. Specifically, FIG. 7(a) shows a state in which the conveying body 12, which rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, and the first rotating body group 14 are not engaged. FIG. 7B shows a state in which the conveying body 12, which rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, is engaged with the first rotating body 14a. FIG. 7C shows a state in which the conveying body 12, which rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, is engaged with the first rotating body 14b. FIG. 7D shows a state in which the conveying body 12, which rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, is engaged with the first rotating body 14c.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when the first rotation shaft 13 rotates in the rotation direction R, the conveyor 12 moves in the discharge port direction D while rotating. When the first rotating body group 14 is not engaged with the conveying body 12 that rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, the first rotating body group 14 does not rotate. Therefore, the second rotating body 15 does not rotate.

As shown in FIG. 7B, when the first rotating body 14a engages with the conveying body 12 that rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, the first rotating body 14a rotates in the rotational direction Ra. When the first rotating body 14a rotates in the rotational direction Ra, the second rotating shaft 17 rotates in the rotational direction Ra at the same rotational speed as the first rotating body 14a. That is, the second rotating body 15 rotates in the rotation direction Ra at the same rotational speed as the first rotating body 14a.

As shown in FIG. 7C, when the first rotating body 14b engages with the transport body 12, which rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, the first rotating body 14b rotates in the rotational direction Rb. When the first rotating body 14b rotates in the rotational direction Rb, the second rotating shaft 17 rotates in the rotational direction Rb at the same rotational speed as the first rotating body 14b. That is, the second rotating body 15 rotates in the rotation direction Rb at the same rotational speed as the first rotating body 14b.

As shown in FIG. 7D, when the first rotating body 14c engages with the carrier 12, which rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, the first rotating body 14c rotates in the rotational direction Rc. When the first rotating body 14c rotates in the rotational direction Rc, the second rotating shaft 17 rotates in the rotational direction Rc at the same rotational speed as the first rotating body 14c. That is, the second rotating body 15 rotates in the rotation direction Rc at the same rotational speed as the first rotating body 14c.

Next, display processing will be explained with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing display processing of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The display process starts in response to the processing unit 91 detecting the rotation of the second rotating body 15 based on the detection result of the optical sensor 20. The first storage unit 92 stores the number of times the rotation of the second rotating body 15 has been detected. Hereinafter, one of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c that is engaged with the transport body 12 at the start of the display process will be referred to as a "specific first rotating body."

If the number of detections of the second rotating body 15 is 0, this indicates that the conveying body 12 has not yet engaged with any of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c. If the number of detections is one, this indicates that the carrier 12 has finished engaging with the first rotating body 14a and has not yet engaged with the first rotating bodies 14b and 14c. If the number of detections is two, this indicates that the carrier 12 has finished engaging with the first rotating bodies 14a and 14b, but has not yet engaged with the first rotating body 14c. If the number of detections is three, it indicates that the carrier 12 has finished engaging with the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c. The number of detections is added, for example, as follows. For example, if the processing unit 91 causes the drive unit 7 to generate a drive force and detects the rotation of the second rotating body 15, while the drive unit 7 is generating the drive force, even if a predetermined period of time elapses, the When the rotation of the two-rotating body 15 is no longer detected, the processing unit 91 adds 1 to the number of detections stored in the first storage unit 92.

Step S10: While generating the driving force in the drive unit 7, the processing unit 91 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the second rotating body 15 stopped rotating based on the detection result of the optical sensor 20. Determine whether If the processing unit 91 determines that a predetermined period of time has passed since the second rotating body 15 stopped rotating (step S10; Yes), in other words, the conveying body 12 that moves while rotating engages with the specific first rotating body. If the process has been completed, the process advances to step S20. In this case, the processing unit 91 stores the number of labels L detected by the optical sensor 20 from when the specific first rotary body starts engaging with the conveying body 12 until the engagement ends, to the first storage unit 92 as the detected number. Make me remember. If the processing unit 91 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed since the second rotating body 15 stopped rotating (step S10; No), in other words, the conveying body 12 that moves while rotating is the specific first rotating body. If there is a possibility that they are engaged, the process returns to step S10.

Step S20: The processing unit 91 adds 1 to the number of detections stored in the first storage unit 92. Proceed to step S30.

Step S30: The processing unit 91 determines whether the number of detections is three. If the processing unit 91 determines that the number of detections is 3 (step S30; Yes), in other words, if the carrier 12 has finished engaging with the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c, the process proceeds to step S52. . If the processing unit 91 determines that the number of detections is not 3 (step S30; Yes), in other words, if the carrier 12 has not finished engaging with the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c, the process proceeds to step S40.

Step S40: The processing unit 91 acquires the number of labels L associated with the specific first rotating body from the container-specific information stored in the first storage unit 92. Hereinafter, the number of labels L from the container-specific information will be referred to as "specified number". The processing unit 91 acquires the number of detected sheets stored in the first storage unit 92. The processing unit 91 determines whether the prescribed number of labels L and the detected number of labels L match. If the processing unit 91 determines that the specified number of labels L and the detected number of labels L match (step S40; Yes), in other words, if there is a possibility that the toner container 10 is a genuine product, the process proceeds to step Proceed to S50. If the processing unit 91 determines that the specified number of labels L and the detected number of labels L do not match (step S40; No), in other words, if the toner container 10 is not a genuine product, the process proceeds to step S51.

Step S50: The processing unit 91 displays the first message on the display unit 61. The first message indicates the amount of toner remaining in the toner container 10. Specifically, the first message indicates that the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 is one of "high", "medium", and "low", which will be described later. The process ends.

In the first embodiment, the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 is set to four levels. Specifically, the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 is classified into "large", "medium", "low", and "very small". "Large", "Medium", "Low", and "Very Low" indicate that the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 is large in this order. The processing unit 91 calculates the remaining amount of toner T based on the detection result detected by the optical sensor 20. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the processing unit 91 classifies the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 into one of four levels according to the number of detections stored in the first storage unit 92. Specifically, when the number of detections is 0, the processing unit 91 classifies the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 as "large". If the number of times of detection is one, the processing unit 91 classifies the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 as “medium”. If the number of detections is two, the processing unit 91 classifies the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 as "low." When the number of detections is three, the processing unit 91 classifies the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 as "very low." In the first embodiment, the number of detections being three indicates that the remaining amount of toner T is less than a predetermined amount.

Step S51: The processing unit 91 displays the second message on the display unit 61. The second message indicates the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 and that the toner container 10 is not a genuine product. Specifically, the second message indicates that the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 10 is one of "high," "medium," and "low." The process ends.

Step S52: The processing unit 91 causes the display unit 61 to display the third message. The third message indicates that the toner container 10 should be replaced. In other words, the display unit 61 notifies the user that the amount of toner remaining in the toner container 10 is "extremely low." The process ends.

As described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, the toner container 10 includes a container body 11, a conveyor 12, first rotating bodies 14a to 14c, and a second rotating body 15. Each of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c is arranged at a predetermined position. Each of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c rotates in response to the conveyance body 12 reaching a predetermined position. In the toner container 10, when the conveying body 12 rotates and moves in the discharge port direction D, the second rotating body 15 rotates only when the conveying body 12 engages with any one of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c. do. For example, when the toner container 10 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100 having an optical sensor 20 that detects the rotational state of the second rotating body 15, the optical sensor 20 is connected to one of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c, and A signal indicating the rotational state of the second rotating body 15 is output to the processing unit 91 of the image forming apparatus 100 only while the second rotating body 12 is engaged with the second rotating body 12 . As a result, the toner container 10 can reduce the load placed on the processing section 91 of the image forming apparatus 100.

The second rotating body 15 rotates every time the carrier 12 engages with one of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c. The first rotating bodies 14a to 14c rotate the second rotating body 15 once when the conveying body 12 moves from the starting point to the ending point. When the toner container 10 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100, the toner container 10 allows the image forming apparatus 100 to more accurately grasp the remaining amount of toner T contained in the container body 11.

The second rotating body 15 has a label L on its outer peripheral surface 15P. As a result, the toner container 10 becomes smaller than the case where the second rotating body 15 includes a detection plate.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a toner container 10 , a driving section 7 , an optical sensor 20 , and a processing section 91 . The processing unit 91 calculates the remaining amount of toner T based on the detection result detected by the optical sensor 20. When the image forming apparatus 100 includes the display section 61 that displays information, the image forming apparatus 100 can notify the user of the remaining amount of toner T.

Image forming apparatus 100 further includes a display section 61. The processing unit 91 determines whether the number of detections is three. In other words, the processing unit 91 determines whether the remaining amount of toner T is less than a predetermined amount. When the number of detections is three, in other words, when determining that the remaining amount of toner T is less than a predetermined amount, the processing section 91 causes the display section 61 to display a message to replace the toner container 10 . The image forming apparatus 100 can notify the user that the remaining amount of toner T is low before the remaining amount of toner T runs out.

The optical sensor 20 has a light receiving and emitting section. The light receiving and emitting section includes a light emitting element and an optical element. The image forming apparatus 100 is smaller in size than the configuration in which the rotation speed of the second rotating body 15 is detected using a disc-shaped detection plate having slits and a detection member that detects the presence or absence of the slits in the detection plate as a detection unit. become.

The toner container 10 includes first rotating bodies 14a to 14c and a second storage section 16. The second storage unit 16 stores container-specific information. The processing unit 91 obtains the number of detected labels L from the detection result of the optical sensor 20. The processing unit 91 reads out the specified number of corresponding labels L from among the number of labels L associated with each of the first rotating bodies 14a to 14c of the container-specific information stored in the second storage unit 16. The processing unit 91 compares the specified number of labels L and the detected number of labels L. If the specified number of labels L and the detected number of labels L do not match, the processing unit 91 determines that the toner container 10 is not a genuine product. The image forming apparatus 100 can easily determine whether the attached toner container 10 is a genuine product.

[Embodiment 2]
Referring to FIG. 9, a toner container 30 according to a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a cross section of the toner container 30 according to the second embodiment.

The toner container 30 differs from the toner container 10 of the first embodiment in the configuration of the container body 11.

As shown in FIG. 9, the toner container 30 includes a container body 11, a conveyor 12, a first rotating shaft 13, a first rotating body group 14, a second rotating shaft 17, and a second rotating body 15. has. The toner container 30 further includes a second storage section 16.

The container main body 11 of the second embodiment differs from the container main body 11 of the first embodiment in that it does not have the second storage chamber S2. The first storage chamber S1 of the second embodiment accommodates the toner T, the transport body 12, the first rotating shaft 13, the first rotating body group 14, the second rotating shaft 17, and the second rotating body 15. The container main body 11 of the second embodiment has a third inner wall 114 in the first storage chamber S1 instead of the first inner wall 112 of the first embodiment. The third inner wall 114 prevents the toner T from moving to the second rotating body 15 .

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 9). However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various embodiments without departing from the spirit thereof (for example, (1) to (3) shown below). The drawings mainly show each component schematically to make it easier to understand, and the thickness, length, number, etc. of each component shown in the diagram may differ from the actual one due to the drawing process. . Further, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and are not particularly limited, and various changes can be made without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention. be.

(1) As described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, in the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the number of first rotating bodies 14a to 14c is three, but the present invention Not limited. For example, the number of first rotating bodies may be one, two, or four or more.

(2) As described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, in the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the second rotating body 15 has a label L fixed to its outer peripheral surface 15P as a detected part. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the detected portion may have an uneven shape or may have a slit.

(3) As described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, in the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the optical sensor 20 is used as the detection section, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the detection unit may be an electronic camera. Further, in Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, the image forming apparatus 100 includes the optical sensor 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the toner container 10 may include the optical sensor 20.

The present invention is useful, for example, in the fields of toner containers and image forming apparatuses.

10 Toner container 11 Container body 11a Discharge port 12 Conveying body 12P Outer peripheral surface 14 First rotating body 15 Second rotating body S1 Storage chamber T Toner

Claims (5)

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet,
a container body having a storage chamber for accommodating toner and a discharge port for discharging the toner from the storage chamber; and a container body that is arranged within the storage chamber and moves while rotating in a direction approaching the discharge port to discharge the toner to the discharge port. A conveying body to be conveyed, a plurality of first rotating bodies that engage with an outer circumferential surface of the conveying body and rotate based on the rotation of the conveying body, and a first drive generated by the rotation of the plurality of first rotating bodies. a toner container having a second rotating body that rotates based on a force, the second rotating body including a detected portion indicating rotation on an outer peripheral surface thereof;
a driving section that generates a second driving force that drives the conveyance body;
a detection unit that detects the detected portion from the second rotating body when the second rotating body rotates;
a processing unit that calculates the remaining amount of the toner based on the detection result detected by the detection unit ,
The plurality of first rotating bodies are arranged at mutually different predetermined positions,
Each of the plurality of first rotating bodies rotates in response to the carrier reaching the corresponding predetermined position,
The second rotating body rotates each time the carrier engages with any one of the plurality of first rotating bodies,
In the image forming apparatus , the plurality of first rotating bodies rotate the second rotating body once when the conveying body moves from a starting point to an ending point. further comprising a display section for displaying information;
The processing unit includes:
determining whether the remaining amount of the toner is less than a predetermined amount;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the remaining amount of the toner is less than a predetermined amount, a message to replace the toner container is displayed on the display unit. The detection section has a light receiving and emitting section,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the light receiving and emitting section includes a light emitting element that emits light and a light receiving element that receives light. The toner container has a storage section ,
The storage unit stores predetermined characteristic values associated with each of the plurality of first rotating bodies,
The detection section detects the detected section every time the second rotating body rotates,
The processing unit acquires a predetermined feature value from the detection result of the detection unit, reads a corresponding first feature value from among the predetermined feature values stored in the storage unit, and reads out a corresponding first feature value from among the predetermined feature values stored in the storage unit. Compare a second feature value, which is a feature value, with the first feature value,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the processing unit determines that the toner container is not a genuine product when the first feature value and the second feature value do not match. Device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined feature value indicates the number of the detected portions.

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